In its ever-evolving state, jazz invites into its fold imaginative artists who freely and courageously pursue their own vision, not only built on tradition but also infused with their own personality and passion. In the case of New York-based pianist/keyboardist Tigran, potent jazz improvisation fuses with the rich folkloric music of his native Armenia. Tigran’s fresh sound is marked by an exploration of time signatures beyond 4/4 into 5/4 and 9/8, charged dynamics, the shifting between acoustic and electric modes of expression, the use of exotic instrumentation including duduk, shvi and zurna, and, in the case of his latest CD, Red Hail, the enlisting of a singer well-versed in Armenia folks songs to deliver alluring vocals that complement the band’s stretch.

“When I was 13, I began to understand the rich culture of Armenia,” says Tigran. “I thought, it’s in my blood. I grew up with this incredible music without realizing it. Slowly I began to listen more to the folk music, and it shocked me how much it had been completely ignored. The more tunes I learned—listening to recordings from the Armenian Folk Radio channel—the more I saw the rich potential for merging those with improvised music. That started me on a lifetime journey.” Continue reading →

At age 37, bassist-composer Matthew Rybicki may have waited longer than most to make his first recording as a leader. But from a cursory listen to Driven, his auspicious debut as a leader, it would seem that he picked just the right time. “Sometimes people get pushed out there too fast, but I really just wanted to marinate a little bit,” says the Cleveland native and longtime New York City resident who has apprenticed with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Nnenna Freelon, Victor Goines and Terell Stafford. “Obviously I wanted it to be something that I was going to be proud of but also I wanted to feel like there was some real weight behind it, that I believed in what I was doing enough to share it with people. I’m just at the beginning part of sharing that weight now with this record and I look forward to sharing more in the future.”

“Michel Reis is a very exceptional pianist and composer.” – Joe Lovano

Don’t tell Michel Reis that the album format is passé, relegated to history’s dustbin by the rise of iTunes, YouTube and other services that dole out music track by track. With his new CD “Point of No Return,” a ravishing collection of nine original tunes that unfolds with the coherence and continuity of an extended suite, the 28-year-old pianist/composer makes a compelling case for the enduring creative relevance of the album. The CD will be released March 15 on Armored Records.

Weaving together a powerfully evocative set of tunes distinguished by long, lithe melodic lines and surging, unsettled rhythms, the New York City-based Reis has crafted a bracingly contemporary sound for his young band, inspired by a myriad of sources from The Bad Plus and Ennio Morricone to Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez and Boston keyboard guru Ran Blake. Continue reading →